Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH HISPANIC CHURCH

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

William Burton, church planting strategist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and volunteer church planter at Esperanza Church@ Harpeth First Baptist, speaks during a recent worship service. — Photos by Lonnie Wilkey

FRANKLIN — Missions and helping new churches have been a way of life for Earl and Violet Newcomb since the mid-1950s when they helped start the first of six churches at what is now Cross Keys Baptist Church in College Grove.

Earl Newcomb served as song leader while operating a business in Franklin and Violet served as pianist and church treasurer.

Their mantra has always been, “Lord, open the door and we will go.” [Read more…]

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CHURCH GIVES FACILITY FOR HISPANIC CHURCH

By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector

God’s Gathering Place, Chattanooga, recently became the East Ridge Campus and Community Center of Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga. Standing in front of the former sanctuary of God’s Gathering Place, are, from left, Dennis Culbreth, director of missions, Hamilton County Baptist Association; Dwight Millsaps, former pastor, God’s Gathering Place; and Micah Fries, pastor, Brainerd Baptist.

CHATTANOOGA — God has worked through what most people would call a failure, says Dwight Millsaps, former pastor of a small church, God’s Gathering Place, in Chattanooga.

Though the church disbanded several months ago, recently God’s Gathering Place gave its facilities worth about $1 million to Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, to meet a need of that church.

Brainerd Baptist needed more space for its Hispanic Congregation. Other positive factors are that the neighborhood has many Hispanic residents and the two churches are located only about a mile apart, though on different sides of Interstate 24.

[Read more…]

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KNOXVILLE CHURCH BAPTIZES 105 BELIEVERS

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Samantha Wilson was one of 105 new believers baptized on April 23 at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE – Faith Promise Church here baptized 105 new believers on Sunday, April 23.

The baptisms came following 331 professions of faith between April 12 and Easter Sunday, April 16. During that time frame the church held 42 services in eight locations, said Pastor Chris Stephens. He noted 16,432 people attended the services. [Read more…]

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GENEROUS GIFT ENDOWS GOTM

Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD — The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board has received an anonymous gift of $1,575,000 to endow the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

The gift was announced during the April 25 meeting of the TBMB.

Board members were informed the endowment will generate an estimated $50,000-$75,000 for the GOTM each year. [Read more…]

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TBMB HOLDS ‘FIRST’ OFFICIAL MEETING

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

BRENTWOOD — Directors of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board met April 25 for their first official meeting since a name change last November.

Messengers to the Summit in Sevierville last November overwhelmingly voted to change the name of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

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FORMER TBC PRESIDENT RAY NEWCOMB DIES

Baptist and Reflector

Ray Newcomb

COUNCE – Former Tennessee Baptist Convention president Ray Newcomb died April 27 at the age of 77.

Newcomb served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Millington, for 33 years before his retirement in May of 2009.

Known for his passion for leading people to Christ, First Baptist baptized 4,500 people during Newcomb’s tenure, a former staff member told the B&R in 2009. [Read more…]

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UNION TRUSTEES OK ACADEMIC REORGANIZATION

Union University News Office

Union University

JACKSON — Union University trustees approved an academic reorganization for the university that will create the School of Social Work and the School of Adult and Professional Studies, in addition to changing the names of three other schools at their April 21 meeting.

The McAfee School of Business Administration will become the McAfee School of Business, the School of Pharmacy will become the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Education and Human Studies will become the College of Education. [Read more…]

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TBCH PARTNERS WITH TENNESSEE FOSTER CARE

By David Roach
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services has found a valuable partner to help improve the state’s foster care system: faith-based organizations like the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes.

Since December, TBCH has participated in a collaboration of government and the private sector to encourage foster parenting. Known as TN Fosters, the collaboration seeks to unite state government, faith groups, nonprofit organizations and businesses in recruiting foster parents and supporting foster families. [Read more…]

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KNOXVILLE CHURCH OFFERS PROM DRESSES

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Pastor Todd Stinnett of Black Oak Heights Baptist Church, Knoxville and church secretary Lynnsey McBee look over prom dresses that the church is giving away at no cost to girls attending proms at nearby high schools. The effort, called the “Princess Project” is an attempt by the church to reach the community with the gospel.
— Photo by Chris Turner

KNOXVILLE — Black Oak Heights Baptist Church here has been looking for creative ways “to get out of the box” in order to reach their community with the gospel, said pastor Todd Stinnett.

Stinnett heard about a church that offered free prom dresses to high school girls and it struck a chord with him. His sister-in-law, Lindsay Maples, who owns Hair Designers at Deane Hill, had for some time helped girls get ready for prom.

He called Maples to see if she would be willing to work with the church to help girls at Powell High School in Powell and nearby Bearden High School in Knoxville attend their proms at little or no cost. They have named the ministry the “Princess Project.” [Read more…]

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TENNESSEE FAITH RIDERS SHARE GOSPEL

Baptist and Reflector

A large number of Tennessee Faith Riders traveled to Daytona Beach in mid-March to participate in Bike Week. From left are, first row, Kerry Russ, Bryon O’Brien, Randy Clifton, Char Selph, Jimmy Deaton, Dana Sneed, David Stanley, Ed Miller, Archer Thorpe; second row, Jeremy Stanley, Coy Jones, B.J. Phillips, Mike Stewart, Cornelius Dixon, Sammy Carr, John Franklin; third row, Steve Robinson, Terry Swann, Keith Price, Jeff Emerson; fourth row, Doug Duncan, Joel Pigg, Jim Curran, Rudy Rideout, and Jeff Hinkle.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Over the last 80 years Daytona Beach has been the favorite destination for Bike Week as 500,000 people gather from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Tennessee Faith Riders, a motorcycle ministry passionate about sharing the gospel with the world, joined Faith Riders from other states in mid-March to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

This year Faith Riders shared their testimony with 3,398 bikers. The majority of the testimonies were shared with bikers 40 years old and older. Randy Clifton, Tennessee Faith Riders coordinator, reported that 339 bikers prayed to receive Christ into their life.  [Read more…]

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